Category: Book Reviews

The First State of Being

The First State of BeingThe First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
on March 5, 2024
ISBN: 0063337312
Genres: Science Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

An engrossing middle grade science fiction novel that masterfully weaves in realistic issues like first crushes, bullies, the anxiety of making new friends, food insecurity, and grief over the death of a mentor. Michael is a good, quiet kid, but he is dealing with a lot of anxiety over his living situation and the fear that his mother will lose her job. He transfers that anxiety to the looming crisis of Y2K, the fear that the world’s infrastructure will collapse with the change to the year 2000 due to computer glitches. Michael also has to dodge a local bully, navigate a crush on that bully’s sister, who is also his babysitter, and tangle with the idea of making friends with some kindly neighborhood boys.

The science fiction element is introduced with Ridge, a boy who shows up in Michael’s apartment complex looking very out of place. As Michael gets to know Ridge, he learns that he is from the future and wasn’t supposed to use the burgeoning technology of his own time to travel back to 1999. Pages from future texts cleverly fill in plot gaps between Michael’s world and Ridge’s and add to the suspense as his family races to fix the technology that will allow Ridge to return home to his own time.

The Y2K angle felt a bit forced though Kelly does well setting her books during times of emotional resonance and, since many people lived in fear that the world’s infrastructure would be drastically affected, it works to add tension here. Starting the book in the fall prior to the new year heightens and explains some of Michael’s behaviors and informs his questionable choices as Ridge fights to get home.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Elementary School

five-stars

The Area 51 Files: Friend or UFO

The Area 51 Files: Friend or UFOFriend or UFO (The Area 51 Files) by Julie Buxbaum, Lavanya Naidu
Series: Area 51 Files, #3, #3
Published by Delacorte Press on April 16, 2024
ISBN: 0593429540
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Sky’s exciting and unusual life in Area 51 continues in the third book in this series.  In this novel, Sky and her friends (alien and human) must work together to find and rescue Sky’s grandmother, an FBAI agent, who has been kidnapped.  Together they put together clues and codes and determine she is stuck in Area 52, an alien portal almost impossible to reach. Meanwhile, Sky is excitedly preparing for her first Drop Day (when items from earth fall from the sky), but can’t shake the feeling she is being watched.  Upper elementary readers who have read the other two books in this series will enjoy this one as well, though readers do not need to have read those to appreciate this one.  Buxbaum’s fast pace and humorous style will continue to engage readers. Black and white cartoonish drawings are found throughout the novel, adding to its humor and suspense.  This is a fun book in a fun series for a school or public library.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

Blue Stars: the Vice Principal Problem

Blue Stars: the Vice Principal ProblemMission One: The Vice Principal Problem by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Kekla Magoon, Molly Murakami
Series: Blue Starts #1
Published by Candlewick Press on March 5, 2024
ISBN: 1536204994
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

6th grade cousins Maya and Riley move in with their grandmother right before starting 6th grade.  They haven’t seen each other for years and have a hard time sharing a room.  They struggle to connect, but when they realize their detention-loving vice principal wants to take away their after-school clubs, they tap into their inner superhero and work together to expose him.  Kids in grades 4-6 will enjoy reading this fast-paced graphic novel where good overcomes evil in creative and unexpected ways.  Although race and culture don’t play a major role in the plot, there is a lot of representation found in this graphic novel.  The main characters are biracial, with Maya looking more like her Black father and Riley looking more like her Native American mother. Background characters are also diverse with illustrations depicting people of different races, religions, and physical abilities.  This looks to be the first book in a series and readers will no doubt want to see what this dynamic duo is up to next!

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

The Diablo’s Curse

The Diablo’s CurseThe Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa
on February 20, 2024
ISBN: 0593378059
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads
three-stars

Introduced in Gabe Cole Novoa’s The Wicked Bargain, Dami – a shapeshifting nonbinary demon, stars in the standalone novel, The Diablo’s Curse. Novoa sets up a fascinating and tense dynamic between the novel’s main characters, Dami and Silas. Silas’s family has been cursed with deadly bad luck and Silas made a deal with Dami to save his life. In a quest to become human, Dami must forfeit all of the deals they made as a demon, but Silas refuses because without the protection of the deal he will die. Dami agrees to help Silas reunite Captain Kidd with his long missing treasure (thus ending Silas’s family curse) in exchange for ending the deal.

Despite mysterious enemies, hidden treasure, multiple riddles, time running out before Dami reverts to a demon, and a reluctant romance igniting between Dami & Silas – this is a shockingly slow paced read. Stuck on a magically hidden island for most of the book, Dami and Silas aimlessly wander for clues while sniping comments at each other. Side characters are introduced to nudge the plot along, but the relationship between Dami & Silas is why readers will finish the story.

Smoke smartly borders flashback chapters, Spanish phrases are seamlessly integrated into the dialog, and Dami’s ability to shapeshift adds to their gender presentation in a very authentic way (even though it mainly serves as an infinite clothing glitch to make rope from). This novel lacks broad appeal but it has plenty of style that will definitely attract teens who like light historical fantasy, snarky romance, and queer representation. This isn’t a must-buy, but should be added to collections where The Wicked Bargain was well received.

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, ME

three-stars

The Fastest Drummer: Clap your hands for Viola Smith

The Fastest Drummer: Clap your hands for Viola SmithThe Fastest Drummer: Clap Your Hands for Viola Smith! by Dean Robbins, Susanna Chapman
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536224863
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

In the 1930s most people didn’t believe that women could play instruments as well as men. Viola Smith proved them all wrong, playing the drums in bands all over the world. Starting as a teen, Smith did not stop playing professionally until well after her 100th birthday. Although many people alive today may not be familiar with Viola Smith, this book covers her start in her family band composed of herself and her sisters through her break onto the national stage during World War II and beyond. Viola Smith designed drum kit staging in such a way that it allowed her to be one of the fastest drummers of the Jazz and Big Swing Band eras. This warm toned and fondly written biography of an American musical icon comes to life with vivid illustrations filled with sound and movement. The author and illustrators’ love of the subject matter is clear. The illustrations use a mid century color scheme and aesthetic that is extremely visually pleasing and brings the time period to life.  The inclusion of a glossary and other resources for students to learn more about female musicians and Jazz music make this book a fantastic resource for school libraries or for classroom teachers looking to grow a picture book biography section.

Reviewed by Rebecca Duquette – Pittston Randolph Consolidated School

five-stars

Down the Sleepy River

Down the Sleepy RiverDown the Sleepy River: A Mindful Bedtime Book by Carmen Saldaña, Emma Drage
ISBN: 1536234974
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

This beautifully illustrated bedtime book follows a journey down a jungle river, using gentle language to encourage very young children to fall asleep. The book includes an introduction for adults discussing the importance of mindfulness for children and giving suggestions for how to read the book with your child. While the repetitive text is very similar to many other books in the “time for bed” genre, Carmen Salaña’s illustrations set this book apart. The colors are rich and vibrant and the jungle theme is clear throughout. As the reader travels down the river each African animal they visit is beautifully illustrated and paired with a breathing activity. The breathing activities are repetitive, however some families and children may find this soothing. This book would be a good choice for children ages pre-k and under or for children who are particularly interested in African animals.

Reviewed by Rebecca Duquette – Pittston Randolph Consolidated School

three-stars

Dawn of a Goddess

Dawn of a GoddessStorm: Dawn of a Goddess by Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by Random House on June 4, 2024
ISBN: 0593308859
Genres: Fantasy, Supernatural
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

This young adult novel is an exciting and cinematic entry into the Marvel canon. Those familiar with the X-Men and Black Panther will enjoy reading this origin story that fleshes out Storm’s teenage years. The novel includes mild romantic elements and plenty of action. The overarching plot is somewhat predictable to those who are familiar with Marvel movies and comics, but the characterization of the main characters makes up for the common superhero tropes used in the plot.

Ororo Munroe is an orphan working in a Cairo street gang when everything changes. With no knowledge of where her unusual white hair and blue eyes came from, or why she can always predict the weather, Ororo is just trying to survive. One day everything changes when the Shadow King, a powerful villain, threatens everything she has ever known. Ororo must flee across Africa, following her instincts to uncover the truth about her heritage in the company of a young man named T’Challa. Can Ororo gain control of her mysterious weather powers and become who she was meant to be?

Rebecca Duquette – Pittston Randolph Consolidated School

four-stars

Mermaid Lullaby

Mermaid LullabyMermaid Lullaby by Kenneth Kraegel
Published by Candlewick Press on April 19, 2024
ISBN: 1536204668
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

From the author & illustrator of “Mushroom Lullaby” comes this cozy underwater sequel. Kraegel’s writing here is a little inconsistent, with some bursts of genius and some lackluster lines, but ultimately this slack is picked up by the nature of the story and the transporting illustrations that are chock full of life & magic. Mermaid Lullaby takes the reader on a wonderful, peaceful journey through a few mermaid friends’ day as they explore the wonder of the ocean & wider world around them. Large, simple text on each page is easy for little eyes to follow and the timeless style of the illustrations feels sure to spark sweet dreams. This simple concept was executed very well and makes a phenomenal read through and through, definitely worthy of a place amongst the bedtime-story classics. For ages 2 and up.

Reviewed by Paiten Price – Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, ME 

four-stars

A Crocodile Should Never Skip Breakfast

A Crocodile Should Never Skip BreakfastA Crocodile Should Never Skip Breakfast by Colleen Larmour
Published by Kids Can Press on June 4, 2024
ISBN: 1525308343
Genres: Humor, Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Enter: Crocodile. He’s a working reptile, he serves as the River Ferry safely carrying passengers across the river. It’s a tough job but he’s just the guy for it. Croc’s hard work is fueled by his favorite quick-n-easy breakfast – donuts. On any given morning, Croc’s typically running a little late, so he always grabs his donuts from Hippo’s stand & chows down on the way to work. This very morning is just like any other, except … Hippo is sold out of donuts! Croc panics but keeps pushing forward, he’s got backup options. But none of these pan out and when Croc shows up to his job – growing hungrier by the minute – to ferry cute … fluffy …. dare I say tasty looking passengers, we quickly learn why a crocodile should never skip breakfast. Before disaster can strike, Hippo saves the day with a special delivery – a fresh batch of donuts! Simple text is paired with character dialogue to tell this story and bright, expressive illustrations drive home the drama of Croc’s situation. A silly cautionary tale that reminds the reader you have to take care of yourself before you can take good care of others. Perfect for ages 4-8.

Reviewed by Paiten Price – Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, ME

four-stars

Liar’s Test

Liar’s TestLiar's Test by Ambelin Kwaymullina
on May 21, 2024
ISBN: 0593571789
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“Liar’s Test” is a young adult fantasy novel by Ambelin Kwaymullina. Bell is a treesinger, able to talk to trees in her grove. Unfortunately, the treesingers are subjugated by the ruling class and considered inferior. Bell hides her intentions and is selected to participate in the Queen’s Test to determine who will rule. The worldbuilding is deep, but readers will have to pay close attention because the writing is a bit twisty and the narrative moves fast. Similar in some ways to the Hunger Games, readers will root for Bell in this story of oppression and colonialism. A suggested additional purchase for YA collections where fantasy is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

three-stars